Cleveland State University has been selected by the Commission on Economic Inclusion, a program of the Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP), to receive the Best in Class award for Senior Management Diversity.

Each year the GCP awards organizations for achievements in Board Diversity, Workforce Diversity, Supplier Diversity and Senior Management Diversity. For the third time CSU has been recognized for the diversity of its senior management, which resulted in the University being selected for the Commission's Hall of Fame category.

“At Cleveland State University, diversity and inclusion are centerpieces of our institutional mission because, in many ways, the CSU community is a microcosm of the region’s workforce. We are proud of the inclusive environment we have created and believe it is having a significant, positive impact on the larger community and beyond,” said President Ronald M. Berkman.

Included among achievements and initiatives cited by CSU for promoting diversity and inclusion across campus were:

CSU’s successful commitment to diverse leadership is evidenced by senior management diversity of 33 percent, compared to an average of 19 percent in the nonprofit/government category.

The establishment of eight Deans’ Diversity Councils (one at each college) and formal groups reporting to the President to monitor progress on diversity initiatives, including the President’s Council on Diversity and Diversity Councils for Human Resources as well as Business Affairs and Finance.

Utilization of a hiring process that ensures diverse pools of candidates for open positions and requires managers receive training on hiring procedures from the Office for Institutional Equity or Human Resources.

The Greater Cleveland Partnership is a membership association of Northeast Ohio companies and organizations made up of over 10,000 members who help create a better economy in the cities of Northeast Ohio. It is one of the largest metropolitan chambers of commerce in the nation.

The award was presented at the organization’s annual meeting on June 17.